ArticleWomen's health nursing (Seoul, Korea)2026
"I did it": a phenomenological study of women's experiences of midwife-supported vaginal birth after cesarean sections in South Korea.
Article in Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeThis study explored the meaning of women's choices regarding mode of birth and the birth experiences of women in the Republic of Korea who had a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) within the previous 3 months.
methodsThis descriptive phenomenological study used Colaizzi's framework. Nine postpartum women who had experienced midwife-supported VBAC at three obstetric hospitals in Seoul were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from March 1, 2025, to May 7, 2026. Each participant completed a videoconference interview, and two participants completed an additional telephone interview. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method, including extraction of significant statements, formulation of meanings, organization into themes, and member checking of the essential structure.
resultsThree categories and 12 theme clusters were identified: "Trauma and lasting impressions of cesarean delivery," "Motives and barriers affecting VBAC decisions," and "Supportive relationships and transformation of the birth experience." Respect for autonomy, a positive birth environment, and family support helped transform birth from an experience of alienation to one of participation. The statement "I did it" expressed a sense of accomplishment and recovery of the agency participants felt they had lost during previous births.
conclusionThis study suggests that, for these participants, VBAC involved more than a choice of mode of birth; it was experienced as a process of rewriting the birth narrative and recovering agency and self-efficacy. These findings may inform midwives and nurses seeking to understand and support the psychosocial experiences of women pursuing VBAC.
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